Neutrogena is facing backlash following allegations from the family of the late actress Hayden Panettiere that the company terminated her brand ambassador contract in 2015 due to her public discussion of postpartum depression.
Panettiere, who died in July at age 36, reportedly revealed in one of her final interviews that Neutrogena invoked a morality clause in her contract after she spoke about her experience with postpartum depression on the television show "Live with Kelly and Michael." The actress had been associated with the brand for nearly a decade, beginning in 2006.
According to the notes, Panettiere stated that the news of her contract termination "broke her heart" and had a significant impact on her life. She had disclosed her postpartum struggles while discussing her character Juliette Barnes on the show "Nashville," who also dealt with the condition. Panettiere said she related to the storyline and wanted to share her personal experience to let other women know they were not alone.
"There's a lot of misunderstanding, and I feel like there's a lot of people out there who think that it's not real," Panettiere said in the interview. "It's completely uncontrollable, and it's really painful, and it's really scary, and women need a lot of support. It’s something a lot of women experience."
The actress's claims about Neutrogena resurfaced following her death, sparking widespread criticism online. Many social media users expressed outrage, with some calling for a boycott of the brand. Commenters recalled Panettiere's commercials as a significant part of their millennial upbringing and attributed their early product purchases to her endorsements.
Panettiere and her former fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, welcomed their daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko in December 2014. The actress was found unresponsive in Greenville, South Carolina, and was pronounced dead at the scene following a suspected overdose. She would have turned 37 on August 21.